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Changes to the building’s structure - which include removing a supermarket lobby and concession space that has never been used - would need to take place, along with providing new entrances to the proposed new shops.

The giant, 854 space car park - which has never been open to traffic, despite pleas from Boro fans looking for somewhere to leave their cars when heading to the Riverside - will remain unchanged under the proposal.

Empty Sainsbury's store building at Middlehaven

However a car park plan states that the maximum stay is likely to be three hours “to restrict the potential abuse of the car park” - but that will be limited to 90 minutes on a matchday.

As yet, there is no indication of when the structural changes would be completed by.

When Sainsbury’s initially pulled out of the move from Wilson Street, near the town centre, it said a “change in shopping patterns” meant a move to the superstore from its Wilson Street base in the town centre was no longer viable.

Teesside Live has reported in the past that Sainsbury’s was looking to sub-let the Middlehaven site, as it’s understood it has been paying rent for the empty store.

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Middlesbrough Council says it has “high ambitions” for the Middlehaven area, and hopes projects including the new dock bridge and proposed snow centre will help attract additional major investments to the area.

A connecting development - of a drive-thru KFC and Costa Coffee, and the Six Medals pub - has been open since 2015.

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Time Line

The Middlehaven supermarket saga

First plans for a supermarket more than 20 years ago

Asda were given permission by Middlesbrough Council to build a superstore on the site now occupied by the vacated Sainsbury’s in 1997, but later withdrew their application after a High Court challenge by Redcar and Cleveland Council and Morrisons.

Plans go back in

A fresh £25m proposal from Asda is submitted in 1999.

Middlesbrough Council’s planning committee backs Asda’s plans in 2001 for the superstore development, which would include a petrol station and a park and ride facility.

But again, Redcar and Cleveland Council object due to the impact on Asda’s South Bank store, that would have closed had the plans gone ahead.

But those plans fail

After a public inquiry into whether an Asda should be built in September 2003, the Government delivered what was described as a “double hammer blow” by rejecting the Middlehaven store and a separate application by Tesco for a new store it had earmarked for Cannon Park.

That decision was taken by Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott in July 2004.

New plans put forward

More than 15 years after the original plans are put in, developers Terrace Hill announce proposals for the Gateway Middlehaven project in July 2013 - including plans for a KFC, Marston’s pub and a coffee shop, which was eventually opened by Costa.

Sainsbury's current Wilson Street store would be transformed into a £20m “contemporary retail environment” as part of the scheme.

Sainsbury's announces it is closing its nearby store in North Ormesby by the end of 2014.

Work starts on the Middlehaven site in September 2014.

Questions raised over move

Questions are first raised over the development as Sainsbury’s announced it’s reviewing the move before construction is complete in January 2015.

Later that month, planning permission changes are “pushed through” despite doubts over whether the store will ever open - as Sainsbury's said it did not have time to wait for a planning committee to rule on the application.

The plans, which were agreed by the council, were to divide the site to provide two further smaller units.

Sainsbury's officially pull out of move

By August 2015, despite work on the new store being largely completed, Sainsbury’s confirmed it would not be moving to Middlehaven and would stay in Wilson Street saying it was “no longer viable” to open the new store.

Iceland says it wants to open 'concept store'

Sainsbury’s confirm it is looking for interested parties to fill the empty supermarket - but turn down pleas from Boro fans to open the giant, 850 space car park on match-days.

And Teesside Live revealed in 2017 that Iceland was looking to open one of its new concept stores, The Food Warehouse, at the site.

New plans finally put forward

Middlesbrough Council announce in July 2018 they have been in discussions with Sainsbury’s on new plans for the white elephant store.

Teessiders say they would like to see an IKEA open - but the Swedish furniture and homeware store says it has no interest in moving to Middlehaven.

Sainsbury’s submit a new planning application to split the store into five new shops and a gym - and claim that Argos, B&M with a garden centre, Iceland and the Gym Group are on board.

Plans to carve up the ghost store are binned

Sainsbury's plans to fill its £200,000 a month ghost store were rejected after councillors heard it would be catastrophic for Middlesbrough .

On Friday, councillors voted to turn down Sainsbury’s planning application which would have seen its giant, disused Middlehaven supermarket split into six units, which would allow B&M, Argos, an Iceland concept store and a new gym to move in.

Plans rejected

Sainsbury's revealed it is paying £200,000 a month to keep the store empty.

But council planners listened to objections from town centre retailers - who said a new development would kill high street footfall and business - and rejected the proposal in January, 2019.